Designed to serve as industrialist Henry J. Kaiser’s worldwide headquarters and to house some 60 Kaiser-affiliated companies, the Kaiser Center became one of the predominant symbols of Oakland in the 1960s. At the time of its completion, the 28-story structure was the largest office building west of Chicago. It was also the most ambitious design project executed by Welton Becket & Associates, up to that point in time. Facing Oakland’s Lake Merritt, the modern office tower is a curvilinear building, clad in glass and Kaiser aluminum alloy panels. The adjacent 5-story parking structure features a rooftop garden by landscape architect Theodore Osmundson.

Upon entering the building, notice the terrazzo floors, stone walls, and clean lines of the interior space. Take a ride in one of the building’s 19 Westinghouse elevators and enjoy views of Lake Merritt, the Oakland Hills, and the San Francisco Bay. Take a stroll in the rooftop garden, the first garden of its kind to be constructed in the United States following World War II.

From the architectural design and engineering, to the interior details, Kaiser Center is a shining example of the Welton Becket philosophy of “total design.” With the exception of the rooftop garden, Welton Becket & Associates managed the complete implementation of Kaiser Center, both exterior and interior.

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